Abstract: A computer system and computer program product for optimizing an aspect of an Information Technology (IT) structure of an IT system. The aspect of the IT structure is optimized with respect to at least one control parameter. The IT structure includes a plurality of elements. Each element independently is a hardware element, a software element, or a combination of a hardware element and a software element. Each control parameter has a value that is specific to each element of the IT structure.

Abstract: A firewall rule generation method, a load balancing rule generation method, and a wrapper generation method, for an Information Technology (IT) system, associated computer program products, and an associated processes for integrating computing infrastructure. The firewall rule generation method generates firewall rules allowing data transmission between a computer and a client, and subsequently assigns the firewall rules to firewalls of the IT system. The load balancing rule generation method assigns a load balancing mechanism to a load balanced group to which execution of an application is assigned, wherein the load balanced group has servers therein. For a client and computer having a communication protocol therebetween that is not allowed by a security policy, the wrapper generation method generates a communication protocol wrapper that opens a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection between the client and the computer such that the TCP connection is allowed by the security policy.

Abstract: A method for single-sign on of a user on a client machine to one or more target applications on target application servers in a computer information-processing network, including: accessing an access server from the client machine; entering user-specific access server logon credentials for logon and access to the access server; selecting a target application; presenting to the target application by the access server, previously stored user-specific target application logon credentials for logon and access to the target application in a form and according to a protocol recognizable by the target application thereby logging into the target application on behalf of the user and establishing a target application session; sending from the access server to the client machine, information for establishing a connection from the client machine to the target application; and establishing a target application session, bypassing the access server, between the client machine and the target application.

Abstract: A method and system for preventing a detection of web crawling. A randomizing HTTP proxy server receives a first request from a web crawler to scan a website and forwards the first request to a randomly selected first proxy computer. The first proxy computer utilizes a first network address translation (NAT)-enabled router to forward the first request to the website. A NAT algorithm associates a first source Internet Protocol (IP) address with the first request. The randomizing HTTP proxy server receives a second web crawler-initiated request to scan the website and forwards the second request to a randomly selected second proxy computer. The second proxy computer utilizes a second NAT-enabled router to forward the second request to the website. The NAT algorithm associates a second source IP address with the second request. The web server identifies the first and second source IP addresses as being different.

Abstract: A method performed in an Information Technology (IT) development environment and an associated computer system. Business requirements are translated into functional requirements. An abstract IT structure is generated by translating the functional requirements into the abstract IT structure.

Abstract: A method and system for adapting an Information Technology (IT) structure to maintain service levels. An IT structure is deployed in an IT delivery environment. A service level associated with the IT structure is specified. At least one operational characteristic of the IT structure corresponding to the specified service level is identified. For each identified operational characteristic, a corresponding threshold is established in such that if the corresponding threshold is violated then the specified service level is not sustained. After establishing the thresholds, operation of the IT structure is monitored. The monitoring detects a condition wherein a measured value of a first operational characteristic has violated the corresponding threshold associated with the first operational characteristic such that the specified service level is not sustained by the measured value of the first operational characteristic, causing degradation of the specified service level.

Abstract: Method and system for verifying correctness of networking aspects of an Information Technology (IT) system that includes a host network of hosts. The hosts include servers and firewalls. A firewall connectivity indication of whether the host network includes an isolated firewall or a cross-zone connected firewall is determined. Determining for each host whether the host is isolated from a communication network to which the IT system is connected determines whether isolated network segments exit within the host network. For each host determined to be isolated from the communication network, the method identifies all network segments of the host network to which each host is connected, determines the unique network segments of the identified network segments, and designates the unique network segments as a set of isolated network segments. The firewall connectivity indication and the set of isolated network segments are stored in a storage medium of a computer system.

Abstract: A method and system for estimating a screen refresh rate of a computing unit participating in an Internet-based collaboration. The computing unit receives a test image that includes pixels located at predefined positions and blinking at predefined frequencies. Measurements of the number of blinks of the pixels in a specified time period are collected. An average of the measurements summed over the predefined frequencies is calculated. A screen refresh rate is estimated by comparing the calculated average to a sum of multiple sums of simulated blinks of pixels in the specified time period. The average is closer to the sum than any of the other sums and the sum is associated with the estimated screen refresh rate.

Abstract: An Information Technology (IT) system display method and computer program product. A description is provided of a configuration of devices, network segments, and vertical connectors relating to an IT structure. The devices are initially distributed to form a distribution of the devices in a matrix representing a display screen. A defined goal value of the configuration is a function of a length and weight of each network segment, a length and weight of each vertical connector, and a penalty for each crossing of a device by a network segment. An overlay pattern of the network segments and the vertical connectors overlayed on the matrix is displayed in accordance with the description and the final distribution of the devices in the matrix. The goal value for the final distribution is lower than for the initial distribution. The final distribution is displayed on the display screen together with the overlay pattern.

Abstract: A method and system is presented for bypassing a local Domain Name Server (DNS) when using edge caching servers. Domain names of frequently used business applications that are known to rely upon edge servers, together with the corresponding authoritative DNSs, are listed in both local hosts file and user defined FSFD local configuration file fsfd.conf. When the client computer's browser attempts to resolve a domain name, a File System Filtering Driver (FSFD) in the client computer intercepts the browser's request. If the domain name which is being resolved is found in a local FSFD configuration file fsfd.conf, then the FSFD initiates a DNS request directly to the appropriate authoritative DNS whose IP address gets extracted from the fsfd.conf record, thus bypassing the local DNS. The authoritative DNS returns the IP address for an edge caching server that is topographically proximate to the client computer's browser.

Abstract: A method for verifying correctness of an Information Technology (IT) structure instance D of an IT structure R, a method for detecting an unauthorized change in an operating instance X of an IT structure R, a method for verifying conformance of an IT structure to an IT delivery environment, associated computer program products, and associated processes for integrating computing infrastructure. The method for verifying correctness of an IT structure instance D determines whether a reverse specification RD for D differs from R. The method for detecting an unauthorized change in an operating instance X of an IT structure R determines whether authorized changes in R have occurred. The method for verifying conformance of an IT structure to an IT delivery environment verifies compliance of the IT structure relating to: product standard compliance, compliance of software elements of the IT structure primitive composition, software application type compliance, and network traffic compliance.

Abstract: A method and system for dynamically adjusting packet size to decrease a delay of a streaming data transmission. A measurement is obtained by a measuring computing unit (i.e., data transmission server or client computing unit). The first measurement is either (1) a delay of a streaming data transmission being sent from the data transmission server to the client computing unit via a plurality of packets or (2) a frequency of damaged packets of the plurality of packets. The damaged packets contribute to the delay of the streaming data transmission. The packet size is adjusted by the data transmission server. The packet size adjusting includes utilizing the measurement and facilitating a reduction of the streaming data transmission delay. The delay results from noise on one or more communication link segments used by the streaming data transmission.

Abstract: A novel method and structure in which data caching is based on data contents. The method comprises the steps of (a) sending a data request from a processing circuit to a target server; (b) in response to the target server receiving the data request, sending a first response portion of a data response from the target server to the processing circuit; and {circle around (c)} in response to the processing circuit receiving the first response portion, using the processing circuit to examine the first response portion so as to determine whether the processing circuit contains a copy of the data response; and (d) in response to the processing circuit determining that the processing circuit contains a copy of the data response, sending the copy of the data response from the processing circuit to a client machine.

Abstract: A method for generating and prioritizing multiple search results is disclosed. A database stores search results in an information storage and retrieval system. A search program executes on a computer system coupled to the database. The search program receives a search request from a user input. The search program parses the search request into at least one search term. The search program performs a loop comprising steps associating a priority adjustment value with each search term, generating a search result, calculating a priority adjustment sum of the generated search result, inserting the at least one search term, the generated search result, and the calculated priority adjustment sum in the search result list, and modifying the at least one search term and the priority adjustment value associated with each search term to perform a next iteration of the loop.

Abstract: A method and system for searching and retrieving reusable assets is disclosed. An index file in a database stores reusable assets. A search request history in the database stores past search requests and corresponding past search results. A search program performs a search upon receiving a new search request within the index file and generates a new search result. The search program correlates past search requests to the new search request by comparing search terms in past search requests to search terms in the new search request. Search terms in past search requests are replaced with semantically similar terms based on taxonomy level and synonyms and results of highly correlated past search requests are added to the new search result. Reusability of each reusable asset in the new search result is appraised.

Abstract: An Information Technology (IT) system display method and computer program product. A description is provided of a configuration of devices, network segments, and vertical connectors relating to an IT structure. The devices are initially distributed to form a distribution of the devices in a matrix representing a display screen. A defined goal value of the configuration is a function of a length and weight of each network segment, a length and weight of each vertical connector, and a penalty for each crossing of a device by a network segment. An overlay pattern of the network segments and the vertical connectors overlayed on the matrix is displayed in accordance with the description and the final distribution of the devices in the matrix. The goal value for the final distribution is lower than for the initial distribution. The final distribution is displayed on the display screen together with the overlay pattern.

Abstract: A computer system and computer program product for optimizing an aspect of an Information Technology (IT) structure of an IT system. The aspect of the IT structure is optimized with respect to at least one control parameter. The IT structure includes a plurality of elements. Each element independently is a hardware element, a software element, or a combination of a hardware element and a software element. Each control parameter has a value that is specific to each element of the IT structure.

Abstract: An Information Technology (IT) system display method and computer program product. A description is provided of a configuration of devices, network segments, and vertical connectors relating to an IT structure. The devices are initially distributed to form a distribution of the devices in a matrix representing a display screen. A defined goal value of the configuration is a function of a length and weight of each network segment, a length and weight of each vertical connector, and a penalty for each crossing of a device by a network segment. An overlay pattern of the network segments and the vertical connectors overlayed on the matrix is displayed in accordance with the description and the final distribution of the devices in the matrix. The goal value for the final distribution is lower than for the initial distribution. The final distribution is displayed on the display screen together with the overlay pattern.

Abstract: A method for single-sign on of a user on a client machine to one or more target applications on target application servers in a computer information-processing network, including: accessing an access server from the client machine; entering user-specific access server logon credentials for logon and access to the access server; selecting a target application; presenting to the target application by the access server, previously stored user-specific target application logon credentials for logon and access to the target application in a form and according to a protocol recognizable by the target application thereby logging into the target application on behalf of the user and establishing a target application session; sending from the access server to the client machine, information for establishing a connection from the client machine to the target application; and establishing a target application session, bypassing the access server, between the client machine and the target application.

Abstract: Method, system, and product for authenticating database connections between a database server box having a database server and a database gateway; and an application server box having an application server and a connection authenticator. The application server and the connection authenticator are connected to the database server over an IP network. A TCP connection is established from the database gateway to the connection authenticator. The authenticator authenticates the application server and permits routing database requests and responses to and from the database server.